Analysis and comment from Memphis, Tennessee, on media, politics, culture, science, my life and anything else that catches my eye.

Monday, February 14, 2005

Clever Euphemisms

Hat tip to Abby for posting this item on the woman found dead in Overton Park. The news item, in full:

Memphis police said Tuesday that a woman found dead in Overton Park last week is Teresa Durene Oursler.

Oursler, 47, was found beside a seldom-used path near the golf course in the park Thursday evening.

Police found clothes and blankets by her body, indicating Oursler had been camping out. Police said they found no signs of a struggle in the heavily wooded area.

They are still awaiting a ruling on the cause of death from the Shelby County Medical Examiner's Office.

Scattered clothes and blankets equals "camping out?" It's a clever bit of misdirection so as not to remind nervous Midtowners that Overton Park has a population of homeless folks living there full time. Gotta protect that image and placate those easily spooked taxpayers. They might start asking questions again about what's going on in the Park.